Saucon Valley (Weyhill) - Pennsylvania - USA
2050 Saucon Valley Road,
Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania (PA) 18015,
USA
+1 610 758 7177
7 miles S of Bethlehem
Members and their guests only
Gene Mattare
William and David Gordon
Mike Wood
One of three impressive 18-hole layouts at Saucon Valley, the tree-lined fairways of the Weyhill course were set around an old abandoned quarry by William and David Gordon in the mid-1960s. The course was once operated by the local Bethlehem Steel Company and – despite the pedigree of its esteemed older siblings, the Old and the Grace – many consider the Weyhill layout to comprise the most picturesque 18 holes on the property. Superintendent Jim Roney kindly supplied us with the following comments: “A sympathetic restoration took place in 2010 and the architect who carried out the work was Tom Marzolf from Fazio Golf. The goals of the project were to refresh the golf course yet hold onto the past. Some of the design elements included modernizing and updating the course while maintaining the existing appearance. We wanted to create a fun and beautiful playing experience for all handicaps with a sympathetic restoration that preserved the original design. We elected to keep a similar bunker style, keep the course challenging yet not punishing while improving playability issues by adding tees for higher handicap golfers. Additionally, we wanted to find ways to reduce labor and maintenance costs. As a result, we reduced the number of bunkers by a third and converted out of play rough to native areas. The project consisted of reconstructing all the greens to USGA specification, rebuilding all the bunkers, adding forward and back teeing areas, shifting fairways and installing subsurface storm drainage. The game of golf has changed since Weyhill opened so all the modifications were made to cope with modern technology.” |
Reviews for Saucon Valley (Weyhill)
Fergal O'Leary
bridges, ponds and pretty flower beds. It’s not just a walk in the park though, you’ll have to buckle up to hit the long par 4 3rd in regulation and will constantly be asked to shape the ball off the back tees to navigate the many dog-legs on the front side. Being one of the two host courses for the 2014 US Mid-Amateur, the course has plenty of bite to its charm. The back nine offers significant changes in elevation, especially holes 14, 15 and 16. Two of the most spectacular are the holes that bridge a quarry located in the middle of the course. The 14th hole is a par three measuring 176 yards in length. The tee shot must carry the quarry to a green that slopes dramatically from right to left and back to front. The 15th fairway is a narrow spine pitching from left to right leading to a monstrous uphill approach shot to an elevated green well-guarded by a series of bunkers set into the hillside. The 16th is a short downhill par 3 over a hidden river which is followed by the highly strategic 17th hole. It's 365 yards from the back tee with a river running all the way in front of you from the tee box directly up to the green. You could play to the right side of the river to the narrow fairway which has 4 stacked bunkers waiting for you, or you could actually play left down a parallel fairway. This risk/reward situation comes just at the right time as matches are going down to the wire. Weyhill measures 6,859 yards from the back tee markers but could easily stretch to over 7,000 yards should the need arise.
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